NCAA men’s tournament winners, losers: Markquis Nowell lights up Madison Square Garden
NCAA men’s tournament has returned and by the end of this weekend, we’ll know who’s headed to the Final Four.
Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it? (Or at least, it comes at you at roughly the same speed as Kansas State point guard Markquis Nowell, who flew all over the court carving up Michigan State’s defense Thursday.)
The first couple Sweet 16 games were a mix of terrific and boring, but we’ll mostly remember the day as the one where Nowell became the latest hero of the tournament, turning in a record-breaking, career performance on the biggest stage of his life. Even Patrick Mahomes is a fan.
But Nowell wasn’t the only standout from Thursday’s early games. Here are the other winners and losers.
WINNERS
Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
Markquis Nowell
There’s nothing like playing great in front of your hometown crowd. And when home is Madison Square Garden, one of the most lauded basketball venues in the world, it’s that much sweeter.
K-State’s 98-93 overtime win that sends the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.
Despite rolling his right ankle early in the second half and playing with a visible hobble for a stretch, Nowell finished with 20 points and 19 assists, a new NCAA men’s tournament record (it was also a career high for Nowell).
He was terrific in the pick-and-roll, dishing to teammates and hitting pull-up jumpers. He also grabbed five steals, the last of which was on Michigan State’s final possession when the Spartans had a chance to tie the game with a 3 in the final seconds.
Eric Musselman had to keep his shirt on all night. Some people might actually consider that a win.
Rick Barnes
Yet again, the Tennessee coach underachieves in March. In eight years at the helm in Knoxville, the 69-year-old Barnes has taken the Volunteers to the Sweet 16 just twice — and they have never gone further. This parallels his tenure at Texas, where he made one run to the Final Four in 2003 and two other trips to the Elite Eight before several disappointing finishes. His last seven teams never got past the second round.
What more needs to be said? | Opinion
Follow sports enterprise reporter Lindsay Schnell on Twitter @Lindsay_Schnell.